Improvement in sounding-boards for pianos



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDK. E. RAMM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOUNDING-BOARDS FOR PIANOS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,069, dated October 23, 1866.

of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Sounding-Boards of Pianos and other Stringed Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section through so much of a piano and its frame as will illustrate my invention.

The sounding-board and bridge ot' a piano by use and the constant strain are apt to sink, and thus impair the tone of the strings.

My invention consists in applying to the piano, and to the sounding-board and bridge, a strong metallic spring, made adjustable, so that at any time its free end may be pressed or forced up against the bottom of the soundin g-board and raise it up to its original level position, and thus rest-ore the instrument to its original tone and volume.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawing.

A represents the frame of a piano, B the sounding-board, and O the bridge thereon. Upon the frame, as at a, is hung a stout steel or other metallic spring, b, so that it may rock slightly on its support, without, however, slipping thereon. To the rear end of this spring a rod, c, is connected, which extends down through and below the frame, and has upon its lower end a nut, e. The free or forward end of the spring presses against a rib or projection, 7'., on the under side of the soundingboard B, and its eXtreme forward end may have a piece of cloth or other similar material between it and the rib on the sounding-board, to prevent anything like a metallic vibration in the sound.

When the sounding-board sinks, the nut e on the rod cis turned so that the forward end of the spring shall rise up to the proper height, which can be easily ascertained by the difference in the tone of the instrument, and one or more of these springs or raising devices may be applied at one or more points of the sounding-board. This bearer or spring may be applied to pianos already constructed or to those being built anew.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters' Patent, is-

Gombining with thc sounding-board of a piano an adjustable bearer or spring, by which the sounding-board may be raised when from any cause it has sunk or settled Hbelow its proper position, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

F. E. RAMM.

Witnesses:

A. B. SToUeHToN, EDM. F. BROWN. 

